Refugee
YA/adult fiction
"Beverly Crawford, a professor emerita at the University of
California, Berkely, has written that refugees live three lives. The
first is spent escaping the horrors of whatever has driven them from
their homes--like the persecution and murder of Jews in Joseph's Nazi
Germany, the starvation and civil rights abuses of Isabel's Cuba, or
the devastating Civil War of Mahmoud's Syria. Those who are lucky
enough to escape their homes begin a second, equally dangerous life,
trying to survive ocean crossings and border patrols and criminals
looking to profit off them. Most migrants don't end up in refugee
camps, and their days are spent seeking shelter, food, water, and
warmth. But even in the camps, refugees are exposed to illness and
disease, and often have to exist on less than fifty cents a day.
If refugees manage to escape their home and then survive the
journey to freedom, they begin a third life, starting over in a new
country, one where they often do not speak the language or practice
the same religion as their hosts. Professional degrees granted in one
country are often not honored in another, so refugees who are doctors
or lawyers or teachers where they came from become store clerks and
taxi drivers and janitors. Families that once had comfortable homes
and cars and money set aside for college and retirement have to start
all over, living with other refugees in government housing or with
host families in foreign cities as they rebuild their lives."
I have just quoted extensively from Refugee because those two
paragraph's express the book's intent much better than I could.
Children and teens who see information about Syrian refugees can't be
blamed for seeing their experiences as new and unique in the world's
history. Older folks with adequate historical backgrounds know that
there have been refugees probably as long as war and famine and
persecution have existed. With the passage of time feared and
despised others become people we regret not saving. Alan Gratz
captures this concept beautifully for YA and adult readership by
braiding together the stories of three youngsters from different eras
facing challenges that, although differing in details, are similar in
essence.
"Someone was in the house!
Joseph scrambled backward on his bed, his eyes wide. There was
a shattering sound in the next room--crisssh! Ruth woke up and
screamed. Screamed in sheer blind terror. She was only six years old."
The scene is Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany. The Nazis are
destroying Jewish homes and businesses and even synagogues. They send
tens of thousands of Jewish men to concentration camps. One of them
is Joseph and Ruth's father.
After an agonizing six months with no news he is released on the
condition he leave Germany for good within two weeks. The family
books passage on the Cuba bound MS St. Louis. All is not well,
however. The father is a broken man, a shadow of his former self, a
stranger to his family. Some of the crew men are staunch Hitler
followers. And there is a rumor that Cuba may renege on the agreement,
leaving passengers to be returned to Germany and death.
"Rifles boomed, and Isabel ducked. More police were arriving by
motorcycle and military truck, and the protest was turning bloody.
The rioters and police traded rocks and bullets, and a man with a
bloody head staggered past Isabel. She reeled in horror. A hand
grabbed her, spinning her around. Lito! She threw herself into her
grandfather's arms."
The Cuban people are starving. Loss of Soviet support has had a
devastating effect on the country. People caught leaving the country
are jailed. This has happened to Isabel's father.
In the riot described above he has clashed with the police. A
cop has threatened to come find him. As the family discusses their
dire predicament, Fidel Castro makes an announcement. People who want
to leave Cuba may do so. The family joins their neighbors in a
homemade boat to take the perilous journey to Florida. Sinking is a
constant danger. Although they will be safe if they make land, if
they are caught on the ocean they will be returned or imprisoned in a
refugee camp. And Isabel's mother is hugely pregnant, due to deliver
any day.
"The wall of his apartment exploded, blasting broken bits of
concrete and glass through the room. The floor lurched up under
Mahmoud and threw him and the table and chairs back against the wall
of the kitchen. The world was a whirlwind of bricks and broken dishes
and table legs and heat, and Mahmoud slammed into a cabinet. His
breath left him all at once, and he fell to the floor with a heavy
thud in a heap of metal and mortar."
Ever since Arab Spring Syria has been caught in a brutal civil
war. Mahmoud has done his best to stay out of trouble, to be
invisible...
...all to no avail. His apartment building has been bombed. He
and his family are homeless in a very dangerous place.
Mahmoud's father decides that the family will travel to Germany
thousands of miles away. The journey will involve sneaking across a
number of national borders and crossing to Greece in an overcrowded
raft that could easily go down. Mahmoud's brother, Waleed is
unreactive, emotionless, in a state of shock. His sister, Hana, is a
helpless baby.
The stories are suspenseful, each chapter breaking at a cliff
hanger. The characters spring to life. I couldn't put the book down
although there were times I found it very hard to read.
I have seen Refugee described as a juvenile book. I would not
recommend it for most kids under YA. The scenes are brutally
realistic. I think it's a must read for the high school and college
set. Some middle schoolers can handle it. I just wish I could get
all the people who see the Syrian refugees as terrorists who hate us
or opportunists who want generous welfare benefits to give it a chance.
My first refugee encounter was up close and personal. My mother
needed someone to take care of Harriet and me between when our school
let out and her college did and on sick and snow days and to get
supper started. When I was about nine she hired Alla Lee who had
managed to flee Korea with her teen son, Boris.
Alla faced formidable obstacles. In Korea she'd been a college
professor. In America her credentials were worth nothing. She found
Enlish challenging. There was a lot of prejudice. The parishioners
of St. Peters Episcopal feared that Alla and Boris would sell Harriet
and me into white slavery or that Boris, one of the shyest boys God
put in the world, would impregnate us with half breed babies. They
alluded to her as a heathen Chink. In a fine bit of irony, she was as
Episcopalian as thr rest of us.
I couldn't see why she would want to be here. Mom explained to
me that if she went back to Korea she and Boris would be jailed and
tortured or even killed because of their religion and political beliefs.
On a personal note, I was holding my breath and constantly checking
weather predictions on Henry (my smart phone) Saturday. Sunday was
the Out of the Darkness suicide awareness and prevention walk. By the
time I went to bed it looked like we'd beat the rain. Mother Nature
did better than that. Morning grey gave way to glorious sunshine. I
helped set up. I tabled and sold bracelets for Active Minds. I was
one of the speakers. We were blessed to have Renaissance Singers, an
amazing all women a Capella group. When they started singing a nearby
bird that had been silent joined the beautiful music. While people
walked I helped transfer stuff to the river for the closing ceremony.
Of course I was on clean up. I am proud of my volunteer tee shirt.
And I collected $2.75 worth of water and Gatorade bottles toward grad
school.
I have turned the voices in my head from critics into cheerleaders and
good advice givers. You know about the ones that haunt lots of
people, especially women, with unhelpful messages of being fat,
stupid, inadequate, unworthy... Now mine say that I can do it, I look
great, I deserve the good things in my life...basically I am enough.
I was calm when I spoke because the voices reminded me I'm a good
speaker and the people wanted to hear what I had to say.
A great big shout out goes to all who attended, volunteered for, and
organized the walk. Together we are making a real difference.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, April 30, 2018
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Two For The Preteen Set
Two For The Preteen Set
Juvenile fiction
Literary snobs: skip this review; you'll be glad you did.
Everyone else: enjoy. This is another excursion into books that are
not up to Shakespearean standards but wildly popular with the juvenile
fiction set.
James Patterson, master of preteen humor, has come out with
Pottymouth and Stoopid which takes a look at boys getting bullied.
Best friends David and Michael have been stuck with insulting
nicknames since their preschool misadventures. By middle school they
are outsiders, ridiculed and blamed for anything that goes wrong.
David's estranged father gets into the action by selling a
series based on their misadventures to the Cartoon Factory network.
In their school the show's off the wall popularity basically makes the
boys "walking, talking insult pinatas."
But the tide is about to turn in a way that should delight kids
who have been picked on, ridiculed, and chosen last for sports teams.
SQUEEEEEEEE!
That was me doing my library happy dance. At long last the
latest volume in Rachel Renee Russell's Dork Diaries, Tales from a NOT-
SO Friendly Frenemy, had arrived at the Orono Public Library and the
librarian for whom I valiently volunteer very regularly was processing
it speedy quick so I could read it FIRST.
Life is good!
Nikki, Russell's spunky protagonist, had finally said good-bye
to Mackenzie, "a RATTLESNAKE in lip gloss and hoop earrings," the
drama queen who had done her best to make her life miserable.
Mackenzie had transferred to the ultra posh, ultra pricey North
Hampton Hills International Academy. All good, right?
WRONG!!! Student Exchange Week is coming up. I bet you can
guess where Nikki has been assigned. There's no getting out.
Noncompliant students will have the choice of repeating eigth grade or
suffering through summer school.
What Nikki doesn't know is that NHHIA boasts a mean girl who
makes the dreaded Mackenzie look like a girl scout. Speaking of Girl
Scouts, Nikki's little sister, Brianna, is leaving a path of culinary
destruction in a seemingly futile attempt to earn a cooking badge by
making a snack her troop will actually eat. You know who will have to
work that out.
And then there's a trip to Paris at stake.
Need I say more?
On a personal note, the boiled dinner was superb. Yesterday I went to
a really interesting program on trauma informed sex ed which is highly
relevant to my field of study. My older daughter, Amber, also
attended. She had really good things to say. I love seeing what a
poised professional woman she has grown up to be. My dafodills are
taller. I can see the yellowish bulges that will be the flowers.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow UMaine students as we head
into the last week of the semester.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile fiction
Literary snobs: skip this review; you'll be glad you did.
Everyone else: enjoy. This is another excursion into books that are
not up to Shakespearean standards but wildly popular with the juvenile
fiction set.
James Patterson, master of preteen humor, has come out with
Pottymouth and Stoopid which takes a look at boys getting bullied.
Best friends David and Michael have been stuck with insulting
nicknames since their preschool misadventures. By middle school they
are outsiders, ridiculed and blamed for anything that goes wrong.
David's estranged father gets into the action by selling a
series based on their misadventures to the Cartoon Factory network.
In their school the show's off the wall popularity basically makes the
boys "walking, talking insult pinatas."
But the tide is about to turn in a way that should delight kids
who have been picked on, ridiculed, and chosen last for sports teams.
SQUEEEEEEEE!
That was me doing my library happy dance. At long last the
latest volume in Rachel Renee Russell's Dork Diaries, Tales from a NOT-
SO Friendly Frenemy, had arrived at the Orono Public Library and the
librarian for whom I valiently volunteer very regularly was processing
it speedy quick so I could read it FIRST.
Life is good!
Nikki, Russell's spunky protagonist, had finally said good-bye
to Mackenzie, "a RATTLESNAKE in lip gloss and hoop earrings," the
drama queen who had done her best to make her life miserable.
Mackenzie had transferred to the ultra posh, ultra pricey North
Hampton Hills International Academy. All good, right?
WRONG!!! Student Exchange Week is coming up. I bet you can
guess where Nikki has been assigned. There's no getting out.
Noncompliant students will have the choice of repeating eigth grade or
suffering through summer school.
What Nikki doesn't know is that NHHIA boasts a mean girl who
makes the dreaded Mackenzie look like a girl scout. Speaking of Girl
Scouts, Nikki's little sister, Brianna, is leaving a path of culinary
destruction in a seemingly futile attempt to earn a cooking badge by
making a snack her troop will actually eat. You know who will have to
work that out.
And then there's a trip to Paris at stake.
Need I say more?
On a personal note, the boiled dinner was superb. Yesterday I went to
a really interesting program on trauma informed sex ed which is highly
relevant to my field of study. My older daughter, Amber, also
attended. She had really good things to say. I love seeing what a
poised professional woman she has grown up to be. My dafodills are
taller. I can see the yellowish bulges that will be the flowers.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow UMaine students as we head
into the last week of the semester.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Writings On The Wall
Writings On The Wall
Adult nonfiction
"But here we are three years later, and gun violence in black
communities is unrelenting. African Americans are eight times as
likely to be murdered as whites. For whites, the murder rate is 1 per
40,000; for blacks, the murder rate is 1 per 5,000. To put that in an
international perspective, the murder rate for blacks in America is
about 12 times as high as among all people in other developed
countries. Worse, gun violence is the leading cause of death for
black children and teens.
It's a heavy burden to raise children who know that the color
of their skin makes them walking targets."
Othering, no matter what form it takes, victimizes those
considered other and legitimizes their victimization. Its
pervasiveness and social acceptance can create a taboo around exposing
it. In writings On The Wall, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
expose othering for what it is and does across a number of dimensions:
*the racism that puts the target on the backs of children and exploits
black culture;
*the religious intolerance that is exploited by politicians to
demonize Jews and Muslims;
*the sexism that limits women's opportunities and subjects us to rape
and other violence;
And other despicable other forms of othering. I really appreciate his
inclusion of classism. A lot of people, sadly including many in
gubmint, try to deny that it exists. People are poor because they're
lazy and unmotivated; they must be weaned from overly generous
government entitlements. (In what universe is this happening?)
Each chapter is a cogent discussion of one form of evil. It
concludes with useful suggestions on ways people can fight back.
Writings On The Wall is a very good read for people who see
through dominant group deceptions and yearn for an America that truly
has liberty and justice for all.
On a personal note, all week I've been hearing what a great job I did
in the drag show. I have to admit that's music to my ears. The
clothes swap went really well. There was a lot of excitement around
everyone's finds. The collection of squares for the blanket is
growing. There was a crafting night at women's resource center. At
Wilson Center we had a fine supper and a discussion on spirituality.
Today I'm staying home with Joey (who is draped across my shoulder
purring into my ear as I wrote this) to make boiled dinner for
Eugene. That takes five hours. My friend Kat plans to come over for
lunch. Joey adores her.
A great big shout out goes out to my drag, WRC, and Wilson Center
Families.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"But here we are three years later, and gun violence in black
communities is unrelenting. African Americans are eight times as
likely to be murdered as whites. For whites, the murder rate is 1 per
40,000; for blacks, the murder rate is 1 per 5,000. To put that in an
international perspective, the murder rate for blacks in America is
about 12 times as high as among all people in other developed
countries. Worse, gun violence is the leading cause of death for
black children and teens.
It's a heavy burden to raise children who know that the color
of their skin makes them walking targets."
Othering, no matter what form it takes, victimizes those
considered other and legitimizes their victimization. Its
pervasiveness and social acceptance can create a taboo around exposing
it. In writings On The Wall, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
expose othering for what it is and does across a number of dimensions:
*the racism that puts the target on the backs of children and exploits
black culture;
*the religious intolerance that is exploited by politicians to
demonize Jews and Muslims;
*the sexism that limits women's opportunities and subjects us to rape
and other violence;
And other despicable other forms of othering. I really appreciate his
inclusion of classism. A lot of people, sadly including many in
gubmint, try to deny that it exists. People are poor because they're
lazy and unmotivated; they must be weaned from overly generous
government entitlements. (In what universe is this happening?)
Each chapter is a cogent discussion of one form of evil. It
concludes with useful suggestions on ways people can fight back.
Writings On The Wall is a very good read for people who see
through dominant group deceptions and yearn for an America that truly
has liberty and justice for all.
On a personal note, all week I've been hearing what a great job I did
in the drag show. I have to admit that's music to my ears. The
clothes swap went really well. There was a lot of excitement around
everyone's finds. The collection of squares for the blanket is
growing. There was a crafting night at women's resource center. At
Wilson Center we had a fine supper and a discussion on spirituality.
Today I'm staying home with Joey (who is draped across my shoulder
purring into my ear as I wrote this) to make boiled dinner for
Eugene. That takes five hours. My friend Kat plans to come over for
lunch. Joey adores her.
A great big shout out goes out to my drag, WRC, and Wilson Center
Families.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
No Place To Fall
No Place To Fall
YA fiction
"The man talking on the local news has it out for me. Through
the screen door, I watch Mama, remote control in hand, mouth gasping
like a banked fish with each new tale of murder and woe. Every single
day, morning and evening, she convinces herself the world beyond our
doorstep is a Very Bad Place. I've managed to sneak off in plain
sight all summer long, but I never know when she might decide an ax
murderer is lurking in the woods and keep me home."
Amber, narrator of Jaye Robin Brown's No Place To Fall, is kept
on a short leash by more than her mother's fears and her
responsibilities. She lives in the kind of small town where people
are all up in each other's business. Any lapse in morals and
judgement will be gossip currency. Amber should know. Her sister
Whitney is married to a known drug dealer.
Small town life and the safe existence her mom wants for her are
not enough for Amber. She's curious about the wider world and its
inhabitants. And she has a dream of becoming a professional musician,
of singing for folks other than her family, her best friend, and the
congregation of her church.
When she learns that she'll be able to attend a well known art
school if she passes the audition, it seems like a dream come true.
How will she do? Will her mother be strong enough to let go?
And will a serious mistake she made trying to help a friend
stand in her way if it's discovered?
No Place to Fall is a powerful coming of age novel that should
appeal to YA readers, especially those eager to shake the dust of
their own small towns.
On a personal note, we're having lovely warm weather. I hung laundry
out after school yesterday. I love that fresh air smell. My dafodills
are as tall as my hand. Joey cat is watching for robins. I am SO
EXCITED because women's resource center is having a clothes swap
today. I'm bringing in clothes and hoping to find treasures--
especially cat shirts. WRC also has a great project going on. We're
knitting and crocheting squares that we'll put together in an afghan
for the center. It is going to look amazing.
A great big shout out goes out to the WRC people who make that room
one of the most awesome places to spend time on campus. It's an
incubator for people who are going to make a real difference in the
world. The honesty and caring and solidarity and excitement and
laughter are off the charts. I never fail to be inspired when I spend
time there.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
"The man talking on the local news has it out for me. Through
the screen door, I watch Mama, remote control in hand, mouth gasping
like a banked fish with each new tale of murder and woe. Every single
day, morning and evening, she convinces herself the world beyond our
doorstep is a Very Bad Place. I've managed to sneak off in plain
sight all summer long, but I never know when she might decide an ax
murderer is lurking in the woods and keep me home."
Amber, narrator of Jaye Robin Brown's No Place To Fall, is kept
on a short leash by more than her mother's fears and her
responsibilities. She lives in the kind of small town where people
are all up in each other's business. Any lapse in morals and
judgement will be gossip currency. Amber should know. Her sister
Whitney is married to a known drug dealer.
Small town life and the safe existence her mom wants for her are
not enough for Amber. She's curious about the wider world and its
inhabitants. And she has a dream of becoming a professional musician,
of singing for folks other than her family, her best friend, and the
congregation of her church.
When she learns that she'll be able to attend a well known art
school if she passes the audition, it seems like a dream come true.
How will she do? Will her mother be strong enough to let go?
And will a serious mistake she made trying to help a friend
stand in her way if it's discovered?
No Place to Fall is a powerful coming of age novel that should
appeal to YA readers, especially those eager to shake the dust of
their own small towns.
On a personal note, we're having lovely warm weather. I hung laundry
out after school yesterday. I love that fresh air smell. My dafodills
are as tall as my hand. Joey cat is watching for robins. I am SO
EXCITED because women's resource center is having a clothes swap
today. I'm bringing in clothes and hoping to find treasures--
especially cat shirts. WRC also has a great project going on. We're
knitting and crocheting squares that we'll put together in an afghan
for the center. It is going to look amazing.
A great big shout out goes out to the WRC people who make that room
one of the most awesome places to spend time on campus. It's an
incubator for people who are going to make a real difference in the
world. The honesty and caring and solidarity and excitement and
laughter are off the charts. I never fail to be inspired when I spend
time there.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Maybe Something Beautiful
Maybe Something Beautiful
Picture book
"In the heart of a gray city, there lived a girl who loved to
doodle, draw, color, and paint. Every time she saw a blank piece of
paper, Mira thought to herself, Hmm, maybe...
And because of this her room was filled with color and her heart was
filled with joy."
Mira, protagonist of F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell's Maybe
Something Beautiful, is obviously an out-of-the-box thinker, a seer of
possibilities. She tries to brighten people's lives with her
pictures. One day she tapes a sun picture on a wall. The next day a
muralist arrives and begins to work his magic. Soon Mira and her
neighbors, even the policeman, are joining in the celebration.
And the murals are only the beginning.
The coolest thing about the book, though, is that's it's based
on real life. Led by a husband and wife artist team, a California
neighborhood created murals, decorated benches, crafted mosaics, and
painted poetry on sidewalks--empowering people and creating
community. Other countries have copied this model.
Let me ask you one question. Does anything in your neighborhood
need brightening up? Let Maybe Something Beautiful be your inspiration.
On a personal note, we had something beautiful going on the last
couple of days. Let me tell you. Friday night was Drag Show dress
rehearsel and Lavender Prom. At the prom people were dressed to the
nines, dancing, eating, hanging with friends. For a number of
participants being welcome at a prom was a blessing. Drag Show was
amazing. We had a real treat--the chance to have lunch with and learn
drag history and makeup tips from our professional queens: Cherry
Lemonade and Stepmother. I did Cabaret and really owned that song.
In a real way I did. Society tries to place limitations on ways of
being for women in our sixties as in dull and sedate and invisible.
My life is an embodiment of screw that because I love a cabaret. We
had something new at the end of the show this year: a tag team
number. There was one big mix and we took turns going out with no
idea what we'd get. That was so much fun! I love my life.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in Lavender
Prom, Drag Show, and all the other events of Pride Week 2018.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
"In the heart of a gray city, there lived a girl who loved to
doodle, draw, color, and paint. Every time she saw a blank piece of
paper, Mira thought to herself, Hmm, maybe...
And because of this her room was filled with color and her heart was
filled with joy."
Mira, protagonist of F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell's Maybe
Something Beautiful, is obviously an out-of-the-box thinker, a seer of
possibilities. She tries to brighten people's lives with her
pictures. One day she tapes a sun picture on a wall. The next day a
muralist arrives and begins to work his magic. Soon Mira and her
neighbors, even the policeman, are joining in the celebration.
And the murals are only the beginning.
The coolest thing about the book, though, is that's it's based
on real life. Led by a husband and wife artist team, a California
neighborhood created murals, decorated benches, crafted mosaics, and
painted poetry on sidewalks--empowering people and creating
community. Other countries have copied this model.
Let me ask you one question. Does anything in your neighborhood
need brightening up? Let Maybe Something Beautiful be your inspiration.
On a personal note, we had something beautiful going on the last
couple of days. Let me tell you. Friday night was Drag Show dress
rehearsel and Lavender Prom. At the prom people were dressed to the
nines, dancing, eating, hanging with friends. For a number of
participants being welcome at a prom was a blessing. Drag Show was
amazing. We had a real treat--the chance to have lunch with and learn
drag history and makeup tips from our professional queens: Cherry
Lemonade and Stepmother. I did Cabaret and really owned that song.
In a real way I did. Society tries to place limitations on ways of
being for women in our sixties as in dull and sedate and invisible.
My life is an embodiment of screw that because I love a cabaret. We
had something new at the end of the show this year: a tag team
number. There was one big mix and we took turns going out with no
idea what we'd get. That was so much fun! I love my life.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in Lavender
Prom, Drag Show, and all the other events of Pride Week 2018.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, April 20, 2018
Big Machines
Big Machines
Juvenile biography
As a tomboy I needed action and excitement in my picture books.
I was also quite a fan of animals and other nonhuman entities rocking
qualities like perseverance (Little Engine That Could) and loyalty.
Two of my favorite volumes introduced me to Mary Anne the steam shovel
and Katy the tractor who plowed out a snowed in town. I loved how
those girl named machines rocked power.
Decades passed. Books went in and out of style. I gave birth
to children whom I introduced quite early to public libraries. One
day, among all the newer arrivals, I rediscovered my two valient
friends and was able to share them with Amber, Katie, and Adam.
I bet in your childhood you encountered Virginia Lee Burton's
timeless stories. Even wonder about the writer behind them? Sherri
Duskey Rinker's Big Machines is a perfect way to introduce our younger
readers to her world.
Jinnee (Virginia Lee) is shown as a person of magic: a dancer
artist, writer, and mother of two beloved sons. In illustrations that
place her beloved big machines on the same page with herself and her
boys, who were her inspiration, you catch the connection and intimacy,
the joy behind their being brought to life.
Big Machines is a sweet read for children, families, and the
many fans of Mary Anne and Katie. If you're a parent, it might just
inspire you to create your own family magic.
On a personal note, my life feels magical today. A gentle spring rain
is falling. My 3" tall dafodills are slurping it up through their
roots. I stuffed my unicorn Wednesday. Starry Starry Night (named
after a cat who was named after a song and painting) is white with
purple sparkly hooves, horn, and mane and purple and white starry
wings. Incredibly soft. Tonight I have drag show rehearsel and the
Lavendar Prom. Tomorrow is the Drag Show. I'll be performing Cabaret.
A great big shout out goes to all who are celebrating Pride Week and
working toward a world in which people of all sexual preferences and
gender identities are safe, welcome, and valued.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile biography
As a tomboy I needed action and excitement in my picture books.
I was also quite a fan of animals and other nonhuman entities rocking
qualities like perseverance (Little Engine That Could) and loyalty.
Two of my favorite volumes introduced me to Mary Anne the steam shovel
and Katy the tractor who plowed out a snowed in town. I loved how
those girl named machines rocked power.
Decades passed. Books went in and out of style. I gave birth
to children whom I introduced quite early to public libraries. One
day, among all the newer arrivals, I rediscovered my two valient
friends and was able to share them with Amber, Katie, and Adam.
I bet in your childhood you encountered Virginia Lee Burton's
timeless stories. Even wonder about the writer behind them? Sherri
Duskey Rinker's Big Machines is a perfect way to introduce our younger
readers to her world.
Jinnee (Virginia Lee) is shown as a person of magic: a dancer
artist, writer, and mother of two beloved sons. In illustrations that
place her beloved big machines on the same page with herself and her
boys, who were her inspiration, you catch the connection and intimacy,
the joy behind their being brought to life.
Big Machines is a sweet read for children, families, and the
many fans of Mary Anne and Katie. If you're a parent, it might just
inspire you to create your own family magic.
On a personal note, my life feels magical today. A gentle spring rain
is falling. My 3" tall dafodills are slurping it up through their
roots. I stuffed my unicorn Wednesday. Starry Starry Night (named
after a cat who was named after a song and painting) is white with
purple sparkly hooves, horn, and mane and purple and white starry
wings. Incredibly soft. Tonight I have drag show rehearsel and the
Lavendar Prom. Tomorrow is the Drag Show. I'll be performing Cabaret.
A great big shout out goes to all who are celebrating Pride Week and
working toward a world in which people of all sexual preferences and
gender identities are safe, welcome, and valued.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Ryan and Jimmy
Ryan and Jimmy
Juvenile nonfiction
Kids and adults in America can't be faulted if they're feeling
overwhelmed. From polluted air and water to police treatment of blacks
to superstorms to the crowd in DC...everywhere one looks there is
something going wrong. Even in today's world, however, one person can
make a difference. If you're in need of inspiration, check out Herb
Shoveller's Ryan and Jimmy And the Well in Africa That Brought Them
Together.
Ryal Hreljac was in first grade when he learned that children in
other parts of the world (than his Canada) died from lack of safe
drinking water. A life saving well would cost $70. Mom and Dad could
fork over the cash. Right?
Wrong. He could do chores to earn the money. He was only six.
Some new interest would come along in a day, a week...
...except that's not how it played out. Ryan worked four months
to earn the $70, only to find out his money would buy a pump for the
well, not the whole well. That was ok. He'd do more chores. His
parents thought he'd lose interest in the years it would take...
...and were wrong again. That's the fabulous story behind Ryan
and Jimmy. Read it and believe.
How do you want to change the world or at least a little part of
it?
On a personal note, yesterday was a very special blood donating day
for me. I completed my 9th gallon. One pint at a time adds up over
the years. Then I spent the rest of the day volunteering at the
canteen. I got home in the evening to read with Joey cat and eat
candy. Today I am already at UMaine so I can make sure to stuff
myself a unicorn.
A great big shout to our Red Cross nurses, volunteers, and donors.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
Kids and adults in America can't be faulted if they're feeling
overwhelmed. From polluted air and water to police treatment of blacks
to superstorms to the crowd in DC...everywhere one looks there is
something going wrong. Even in today's world, however, one person can
make a difference. If you're in need of inspiration, check out Herb
Shoveller's Ryan and Jimmy And the Well in Africa That Brought Them
Together.
Ryal Hreljac was in first grade when he learned that children in
other parts of the world (than his Canada) died from lack of safe
drinking water. A life saving well would cost $70. Mom and Dad could
fork over the cash. Right?
Wrong. He could do chores to earn the money. He was only six.
Some new interest would come along in a day, a week...
...except that's not how it played out. Ryan worked four months
to earn the $70, only to find out his money would buy a pump for the
well, not the whole well. That was ok. He'd do more chores. His
parents thought he'd lose interest in the years it would take...
...and were wrong again. That's the fabulous story behind Ryan
and Jimmy. Read it and believe.
How do you want to change the world or at least a little part of
it?
On a personal note, yesterday was a very special blood donating day
for me. I completed my 9th gallon. One pint at a time adds up over
the years. Then I spent the rest of the day volunteering at the
canteen. I got home in the evening to read with Joey cat and eat
candy. Today I am already at UMaine so I can make sure to stuff
myself a unicorn.
A great big shout to our Red Cross nurses, volunteers, and donors.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, April 16, 2018
My First Animal ABC
My First Animal ABC
Picture book
Maurice Pledger's My First Animal ABC is a delight for alphabet
learner and parent alike. Our traditional cat and dog friends have
been joined by quite a menagerie of well and lesser known critters.
Beautiful butterfly, darting dragonfly, prickly hedgehog, lion and
lynx, moth hovering over mouse...there's something for everyone.
The pictures are colorful and amazingly detailed. Kids will
enjoy the fold out page format.
If you have a letter learner in your home My First Animal ABC is
a rock solid investment.
On a personal note, my Joey cat is on my lap purring, obviously
delighted that there is no school. I'm home in the Mickey Mouse
footed pajamas my daughter Katie gave me. Outside winter is trying to
sneak back in. I have covered my dafodills which have started coming
up with weighted down upside down recycle bins. I'm resting up for
the blood donation that will bring me up to 9 gallons.
Yesterday I announced Pride Week at my church. One of the Sunday
school students made me a beautiful picture of a happy unicorn about
to eat a fancy piece of cake. There is a rainbow over its head. It
is one of the best gifts I have ever received. I am going to have it
laminated so I can use it as a book mark. That way I'll see it very
often.
A great big shout out goes out to all who have open minds and hearts
about the full range of human gender identity and sexuality.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Maurice Pledger's My First Animal ABC is a delight for alphabet
learner and parent alike. Our traditional cat and dog friends have
been joined by quite a menagerie of well and lesser known critters.
Beautiful butterfly, darting dragonfly, prickly hedgehog, lion and
lynx, moth hovering over mouse...there's something for everyone.
The pictures are colorful and amazingly detailed. Kids will
enjoy the fold out page format.
If you have a letter learner in your home My First Animal ABC is
a rock solid investment.
On a personal note, my Joey cat is on my lap purring, obviously
delighted that there is no school. I'm home in the Mickey Mouse
footed pajamas my daughter Katie gave me. Outside winter is trying to
sneak back in. I have covered my dafodills which have started coming
up with weighted down upside down recycle bins. I'm resting up for
the blood donation that will bring me up to 9 gallons.
Yesterday I announced Pride Week at my church. One of the Sunday
school students made me a beautiful picture of a happy unicorn about
to eat a fancy piece of cake. There is a rainbow over its head. It
is one of the best gifts I have ever received. I am going to have it
laminated so I can use it as a book mark. That way I'll see it very
often.
A great big shout out goes out to all who have open minds and hearts
about the full range of human gender identity and sexuality.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Spit & Sticks
Spit & Sticks
Picture book
Marilyn Grohoske Evans' Spit & Sticks: A Chimney Full of Swifts
is another book that neatly ties an enchanting narrative in with real
life explorations.
A swift has flown thousands of miles from South America to
Texas. Somehow it is able to locate the chimney where it was born.
It and another bird build a nest. Soon there are three eggs for them
to tend to.
The family in the house is expecting a baby. The enchanting
story line segues between the two clans until the early winter day
when the swifts head back to South America.
The book gives ideas on what kids and families can do to help
chimney swifts survive. Here are some other fun activities.
*Pick a kind of migratory bird and learn as much as you can about it
and the journey it takes. If human activities put it in peril share
this information with friends.
*In the winter investigate the best ways to feed the birds that arrive
or stay around. They can be a joy to watch. Just make sure any cat
you may have stays indoors.
*Find out what kind of bird will nest in your locale. Carefully
construct a bird house. Orono Community Garden volunteers enjoy the
bluebirds that take up residence. Just make sure to keep a window
between your tenants and your family felines.
Happy reading and observing!
On a personal note, yesterday was a gorgeous, warm day. Signs of
spring are popping up. Literally. There are gold and purple crocuses
and buds on trees at UMaine. Joey is scanning the skies for incoming
robins. I've heard rumors of daffodils. As much as I love UMaine, I
am enjoying a three day weekend to do a little catching up.
A great shout out goes out to my fellow students who are working on
catch up, attending concerts, or traveling somewhere. Also faculty
and staff peeps who are up to their eyeballs in end of semester.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Marilyn Grohoske Evans' Spit & Sticks: A Chimney Full of Swifts
is another book that neatly ties an enchanting narrative in with real
life explorations.
A swift has flown thousands of miles from South America to
Texas. Somehow it is able to locate the chimney where it was born.
It and another bird build a nest. Soon there are three eggs for them
to tend to.
The family in the house is expecting a baby. The enchanting
story line segues between the two clans until the early winter day
when the swifts head back to South America.
The book gives ideas on what kids and families can do to help
chimney swifts survive. Here are some other fun activities.
*Pick a kind of migratory bird and learn as much as you can about it
and the journey it takes. If human activities put it in peril share
this information with friends.
*In the winter investigate the best ways to feed the birds that arrive
or stay around. They can be a joy to watch. Just make sure any cat
you may have stays indoors.
*Find out what kind of bird will nest in your locale. Carefully
construct a bird house. Orono Community Garden volunteers enjoy the
bluebirds that take up residence. Just make sure to keep a window
between your tenants and your family felines.
Happy reading and observing!
On a personal note, yesterday was a gorgeous, warm day. Signs of
spring are popping up. Literally. There are gold and purple crocuses
and buds on trees at UMaine. Joey is scanning the skies for incoming
robins. I've heard rumors of daffodils. As much as I love UMaine, I
am enjoying a three day weekend to do a little catching up.
A great shout out goes out to my fellow students who are working on
catch up, attending concerts, or traveling somewhere. Also faculty
and staff peeps who are up to their eyeballs in end of semester.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Many Moons
Many Moons
Picture book
Through much of human history people have used the phases of the
moon as a guideline on when to conduct certain activities. People
would plant, harvest, and hunt in accordance with this information.
Today, sadly, most people go through life without noticing our moon's
changing appearance. Remi Courgeon's Many Moons gives parents and
teachers a beautiful way to raise children's interest.
In a series of lively pictures, each moon phase is paired with
an object of a similar shape. Jenny the hen lays an egg. Melody
feels her unborn baby kicking. Edward makes a batch of croissants.
My favorite phase is when the moon looks like Simon the cat's tail.
Monochromatic illustrations with the selective use of yellow for only
the moon and its matching object draws the attention of younger
readers and listeners to the central message of the book.
This is not a book to read and set aside. Children can be
encouraged to keep a moon log over a period of time and/or to find
their own objects that correspond to its phases. Parents can share
moon phase advice found in almanacs and other traditional
periodicals. Learning about the moon's phases can be a stepping stone
to finding out more about our planet's lone satellite.
When it comes to using Many Moons as a stepping stone to further
learning (Admit it. You saw this coming a mile away.) the sky's the
limit.
On a personal note, we're in one of the times of the year when
maintaining a mixed (academia/real world) marriage can be a
challenge. It's a question of which of the things I should go to can
I safely ditch.
Yesterday I was doing due dilligence on seeking grad school funding.
I went to the UMaine scholarship fair and then to a program the Career
Center put on about resumes and cover letters. I got valuable info at
both. Then to unwind I went shopping at Black Bear Exchange for a
dress for next Friday's Lavendar Prom. I found a sweet layered blue
number on which I did not spend a cent. People are asking what I'll
wear for jewelery, how I'll do my hair. I'm loving it. When I
envisioned my post child raising life back when the kids were shorter
than me a prom was not what I envisioned.
A great big shout out goes out to the folks who put on the scholarship
fair for all the work they did and the Career Center for their fine
presentation.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Through much of human history people have used the phases of the
moon as a guideline on when to conduct certain activities. People
would plant, harvest, and hunt in accordance with this information.
Today, sadly, most people go through life without noticing our moon's
changing appearance. Remi Courgeon's Many Moons gives parents and
teachers a beautiful way to raise children's interest.
In a series of lively pictures, each moon phase is paired with
an object of a similar shape. Jenny the hen lays an egg. Melody
feels her unborn baby kicking. Edward makes a batch of croissants.
My favorite phase is when the moon looks like Simon the cat's tail.
Monochromatic illustrations with the selective use of yellow for only
the moon and its matching object draws the attention of younger
readers and listeners to the central message of the book.
This is not a book to read and set aside. Children can be
encouraged to keep a moon log over a period of time and/or to find
their own objects that correspond to its phases. Parents can share
moon phase advice found in almanacs and other traditional
periodicals. Learning about the moon's phases can be a stepping stone
to finding out more about our planet's lone satellite.
When it comes to using Many Moons as a stepping stone to further
learning (Admit it. You saw this coming a mile away.) the sky's the
limit.
On a personal note, we're in one of the times of the year when
maintaining a mixed (academia/real world) marriage can be a
challenge. It's a question of which of the things I should go to can
I safely ditch.
Yesterday I was doing due dilligence on seeking grad school funding.
I went to the UMaine scholarship fair and then to a program the Career
Center put on about resumes and cover letters. I got valuable info at
both. Then to unwind I went shopping at Black Bear Exchange for a
dress for next Friday's Lavendar Prom. I found a sweet layered blue
number on which I did not spend a cent. People are asking what I'll
wear for jewelery, how I'll do my hair. I'm loving it. When I
envisioned my post child raising life back when the kids were shorter
than me a prom was not what I envisioned.
A great big shout out goes out to the folks who put on the scholarship
fair for all the work they did and the Career Center for their fine
presentation.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Girls Like Us
Girls Like Us
YA/adult nonfiction
"She likes swimming, SpongeBob, Mexican food, writing poetry,
getting her nails painted (light pink is her favorite color), and
Harry Potter books (plus she thinks Daniel Radcliffe is 'fine'). This
Christmas, she really wants an iPod but would settle for some
sweatsuits, preferably pink. Sometimes she's petulant--pouting and
sullen--but mostly she's open and eager to be loved. When she smiles,
huge dimples crease her chubby face and are still capable, as she
moves into awkward adolescence, of melting hearts. She's much like
any other eleven-year-old girl in America, except for one critical
difference. Over the last year of her life, she's been trafficked up
and down the East Coast by a twenty-nine-year-old pimp and sold
nightly on Craigslist to adult men who ignore her dimples and purchase
her for sex."
Reading the first paragraph of Rachel Lloyd's Girls Like Us is
like diving into ice cold water. The reader is drawn into a world (s)
he never knew existed. It's a world Lloyd knows from personal
experience. Like many other trafficked girls, she started life in a
dysfunctional family. By 14 she was working full time, no longer in
school. One night she came home to find an unconscious mother and a
suicide note. A job dancing in a strip club segued into working for
pimps and being brutally beaten.
This was not the end of the line for Lloyd, however. With the
help of a caring church, she was able to turn her life around. Moving
to America, she devoted herself to helping and advocating for girls
like her former self.
Lloyd lays some hard truths on us. In many countries including
America girls are being sexually trafficked. In a cruel victim
blaming they are said to have chosen the life style even if they are
nowhere near the age of consent. It's easy to make a convenient
narrative that erases elements like severe childhood abuse, poverty,
and too few alternatives for survival.
If you think they deserve better than you absolutely must read
the book.
These girls aren't always someone else. If not for a lucky
break I could have been a pimp's property. They are very cadgy
opportunists. I became homeless in Boston with nobody to turn to for
help because the company with the job I was downsized from hadn't paid
into unemployment. There was a shelter with a three day limit. My
last day there I had the luck of a newspaper ad leading me to a live
in babysitting gig. But I've been looked up and down like an animal
being assessed by a butcher. It's nothing you'd want for yourself or
your daughter.
On a personal note, I was at UMaine with some of my chums yesterday
when the news broke about President Pennywise's lawyer's office being
raided by the FBI. We all gathered around a big screen TV, feeling we
were witnessing history being made. We noticed something
interesting. CNN was giving us play by play and analysis. Fox was
doing a head in the sand number, talking about anything else.
A great big shout out goes out to investigators who carry out the
people's business even when pressured not to by people in high places
and media people who keep us up to date instead of trying to steer us
in other directions.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult nonfiction
"She likes swimming, SpongeBob, Mexican food, writing poetry,
getting her nails painted (light pink is her favorite color), and
Harry Potter books (plus she thinks Daniel Radcliffe is 'fine'). This
Christmas, she really wants an iPod but would settle for some
sweatsuits, preferably pink. Sometimes she's petulant--pouting and
sullen--but mostly she's open and eager to be loved. When she smiles,
huge dimples crease her chubby face and are still capable, as she
moves into awkward adolescence, of melting hearts. She's much like
any other eleven-year-old girl in America, except for one critical
difference. Over the last year of her life, she's been trafficked up
and down the East Coast by a twenty-nine-year-old pimp and sold
nightly on Craigslist to adult men who ignore her dimples and purchase
her for sex."
Reading the first paragraph of Rachel Lloyd's Girls Like Us is
like diving into ice cold water. The reader is drawn into a world (s)
he never knew existed. It's a world Lloyd knows from personal
experience. Like many other trafficked girls, she started life in a
dysfunctional family. By 14 she was working full time, no longer in
school. One night she came home to find an unconscious mother and a
suicide note. A job dancing in a strip club segued into working for
pimps and being brutally beaten.
This was not the end of the line for Lloyd, however. With the
help of a caring church, she was able to turn her life around. Moving
to America, she devoted herself to helping and advocating for girls
like her former self.
Lloyd lays some hard truths on us. In many countries including
America girls are being sexually trafficked. In a cruel victim
blaming they are said to have chosen the life style even if they are
nowhere near the age of consent. It's easy to make a convenient
narrative that erases elements like severe childhood abuse, poverty,
and too few alternatives for survival.
If you think they deserve better than you absolutely must read
the book.
These girls aren't always someone else. If not for a lucky
break I could have been a pimp's property. They are very cadgy
opportunists. I became homeless in Boston with nobody to turn to for
help because the company with the job I was downsized from hadn't paid
into unemployment. There was a shelter with a three day limit. My
last day there I had the luck of a newspaper ad leading me to a live
in babysitting gig. But I've been looked up and down like an animal
being assessed by a butcher. It's nothing you'd want for yourself or
your daughter.
On a personal note, I was at UMaine with some of my chums yesterday
when the news broke about President Pennywise's lawyer's office being
raided by the FBI. We all gathered around a big screen TV, feeling we
were witnessing history being made. We noticed something
interesting. CNN was giving us play by play and analysis. Fox was
doing a head in the sand number, talking about anything else.
A great big shout out goes out to investigators who carry out the
people's business even when pressured not to by people in high places
and media people who keep us up to date instead of trying to steer us
in other directions.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Queer There and Everywhere
Queer There and Everywhere
YA/adult nonfiction
"Most of us have probably never considered our first president's
sexual identity beyond knowing that he was married to a woman. We
just assume he was straight because history doesn't explicitly tell
us otherwise. But when we make assumptions about any historical
figure, we rewrite history without even knowing it..."
Sarah Prager's Queer There and Everywhere questions the
historical assumption of uniform CIS straightness. She introduces
readers to 23 important world figures who differed in how they saw and
presented themselves and/or who they loved. You'll get to meet or get
reacquainted with:
*Elagabalus (203-222) a teenage Roman emperor who considered herself a
woman although raised as a boy and had relations with men and women;
*Kristina Vasa 1626-1689) a Swedish monarch who was gender nonconforming
"As a young girl I had an overwhelming aversion to everything
that women do and say. I couldn't bear their tight-fitting, fussy
clothes. I took no care in my complexion or my figure or the rest of
my appearance..."
and gave up the throne rather than being forced into marriage;
*Albert Cashier (1843-1915) who was born Jennie Hodges and ditched all
traces of femininity while coming to America to escape the potato
famine. He lived as a male over half a century including three years
fighting in the Civil War;
*Ma Rainey (1886-1939) Mother of the Blues
"Went out last night with a crowd of my friends
They must have been women, 'cause I don't like no men
It's true I wear a collar and tie...
Talk to the gals just like any old man...";
*Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) who, although married to FDR, had a
long term relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok;
and eighteen other fascinating historical figures who didn't fit the
very narrow norms of their times.
Queer There and Everywhere is a wonderful book for LGBTQ folks
and allies and anyone with an open mind. There is a glossary of terms
and an extensive bibliography.
I was overjoyed to read the liberating two-spirit, an indiginous
people's term for male and female appearing in one person. It fits me
even more than gender fluid or nonconforming.
This is Prager's book and I hope she'd working on another even
as I write this.
On a personal note, spring seems to be on the way. The snow that fell
Friday night melted very quickly. In one more week we'll celebrate
Pride Week. I'm really looking forward to it, especially stuffing a
unicorn and performing in the Drag Show.
A great big shout out goes out to UMaine's vibrant LGBTQ community and
our amazing allies.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult nonfiction
"Most of us have probably never considered our first president's
sexual identity beyond knowing that he was married to a woman. We
just assume he was straight because history doesn't explicitly tell
us otherwise. But when we make assumptions about any historical
figure, we rewrite history without even knowing it..."
Sarah Prager's Queer There and Everywhere questions the
historical assumption of uniform CIS straightness. She introduces
readers to 23 important world figures who differed in how they saw and
presented themselves and/or who they loved. You'll get to meet or get
reacquainted with:
*Elagabalus (203-222) a teenage Roman emperor who considered herself a
woman although raised as a boy and had relations with men and women;
*Kristina Vasa 1626-1689) a Swedish monarch who was gender nonconforming
"As a young girl I had an overwhelming aversion to everything
that women do and say. I couldn't bear their tight-fitting, fussy
clothes. I took no care in my complexion or my figure or the rest of
my appearance..."
and gave up the throne rather than being forced into marriage;
*Albert Cashier (1843-1915) who was born Jennie Hodges and ditched all
traces of femininity while coming to America to escape the potato
famine. He lived as a male over half a century including three years
fighting in the Civil War;
*Ma Rainey (1886-1939) Mother of the Blues
"Went out last night with a crowd of my friends
They must have been women, 'cause I don't like no men
It's true I wear a collar and tie...
Talk to the gals just like any old man...";
*Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) who, although married to FDR, had a
long term relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok;
and eighteen other fascinating historical figures who didn't fit the
very narrow norms of their times.
Queer There and Everywhere is a wonderful book for LGBTQ folks
and allies and anyone with an open mind. There is a glossary of terms
and an extensive bibliography.
I was overjoyed to read the liberating two-spirit, an indiginous
people's term for male and female appearing in one person. It fits me
even more than gender fluid or nonconforming.
This is Prager's book and I hope she'd working on another even
as I write this.
On a personal note, spring seems to be on the way. The snow that fell
Friday night melted very quickly. In one more week we'll celebrate
Pride Week. I'm really looking forward to it, especially stuffing a
unicorn and performing in the Drag Show.
A great big shout out goes out to UMaine's vibrant LGBTQ community and
our amazing allies.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, April 6, 2018
Ashley Bryan's Puppets
Ashley Bryan's Puppets
Juvenile and family poetry
"These treasures,
Washed in from the sea
Are cast off challenged to me.
I cannot rest til I create
A life that we may celebrate."
Ashley Bryan made his first puppet when he was eleven. He still
loves making puppets. These days, living on an island, he has daily
access to the ocean and the treasures that wash up on the beach. He
uses them to create elaborate puppets with personalities and back
stories. In Ashley Bryan's Puppets he pairs dozens with their own
personal poems.
Study the pictures. See what Ashley has done with objects as
ordinary as bones, buttons, peach pits, crab claws, and fabric
scraps. You may not live anywhere near a beach. Puppets may not be
your thing. But there are probably objects that can bring out the
artist in you and maybe your family.
I don't get my yarn for knitting and crocheting at stores. It's
all from thrift shops, yard sales, mangled afghans, and people's given
up on projects. I let the yarn tell me what it wants to be. (No,
this does not involve illicit substances). Next summer I want to
press wildflowers and make bookmarks.
But my urban ocean is dumpsters. It's amazing what good stuff
people got rid of it. A few days ago I found designer baby clothes
for a friend and really cool cat toys for my Joey.
Ashley Bryan is an American treasure: an all around soulful and
insightful artist an writer, a darker toned Peter Pan who never got
the message that it's time to stop playing and seeing the magic in
life. Any book by him is well worth reading.
On a personal note, I'm recovering very quickly from my fall. I read
a really cool word, adorkable, recently. I think it means adorably
dorky. My chums Dre and Brittney agree I'm adorkable.
A great big shout out goes out to Dre and Brittney and my other
friends including my cat buddy Joey who help make life so beautiful.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile and family poetry
"These treasures,
Washed in from the sea
Are cast off challenged to me.
I cannot rest til I create
A life that we may celebrate."
Ashley Bryan made his first puppet when he was eleven. He still
loves making puppets. These days, living on an island, he has daily
access to the ocean and the treasures that wash up on the beach. He
uses them to create elaborate puppets with personalities and back
stories. In Ashley Bryan's Puppets he pairs dozens with their own
personal poems.
Study the pictures. See what Ashley has done with objects as
ordinary as bones, buttons, peach pits, crab claws, and fabric
scraps. You may not live anywhere near a beach. Puppets may not be
your thing. But there are probably objects that can bring out the
artist in you and maybe your family.
I don't get my yarn for knitting and crocheting at stores. It's
all from thrift shops, yard sales, mangled afghans, and people's given
up on projects. I let the yarn tell me what it wants to be. (No,
this does not involve illicit substances). Next summer I want to
press wildflowers and make bookmarks.
But my urban ocean is dumpsters. It's amazing what good stuff
people got rid of it. A few days ago I found designer baby clothes
for a friend and really cool cat toys for my Joey.
Ashley Bryan is an American treasure: an all around soulful and
insightful artist an writer, a darker toned Peter Pan who never got
the message that it's time to stop playing and seeing the magic in
life. Any book by him is well worth reading.
On a personal note, I'm recovering very quickly from my fall. I read
a really cool word, adorkable, recently. I think it means adorably
dorky. My chums Dre and Brittney agree I'm adorkable.
A great big shout out goes out to Dre and Brittney and my other
friends including my cat buddy Joey who help make life so beautiful.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Amazon Adventure
Amazon Adventure
Juvenile nonfiction
"It's the planet's richest ecosystem, where a butterfly's wing
can grow as big as your hand and five hundred species, from frogs to
insects, can be found on a single flower...Jaguars hunt in the shade
of two-hundred-foot-tall trees; pink dolphins, whom the local people
claim have magic powers, swim in the rivers. New species discovered
here in the last decade include a tarantula striped like a tiger, a
vegetarian piranha, and a monkey who purrs like a kitten."
Sy Montgomery, author of Amazon Adventure, is, of course,
alluding to the world's largest jungle which consists of the land
drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries--an area as big as the
United States excluding Alaska and Hawaii. It's called "the lungs of
the world" because it puts out one fifth of this planet's oxygen. But
human economic activities like ranching and mining destroy significant
chunks of it each year.
"Luckily, beneath the glassy surface of its rivers live dozens
of species tiny, beautiful fish whose powers may be even greater than
those of the mysterious pink dolphin or the mighty jaguar. These shy
fish--so small the locals call them all piaba (pee-AH-bah), which
roughly translates to "small fry" or "pip-squeak"--just might be able
to save the Amazon."
You read right. Every year forty million tiny tropical fish,
captured carefully in the wild, are shipped to aquariums around the
world. Amazingly, this is good for the fish. Otherwise during the
dry season many would be stranded and killed. A fish that naturally
might live only a year in its natural habitat may get three or more
years in an aquarium. People who earn their income from this very
sustainable practice aren't desperate for the income from mining,
timbering, and cattle ranching.
But don't take my word for that--not when you can embark on a
voyage of discovery from the comfort of your favorite chair. Discover
the fish and their habitat. Learn about some of the other fascinating
creatures that call the Amazon home. Drop in on an elaborate yearly
festival held in honor of the small fishes.
Amazon Adventure is proof positive that your library card is
your passport to the world.
On a personal note, I am taking it easy (for me) today. Yesterday I
fell. The worst damage is my writing hand is really bruised. (Thank
God no bones broke!). But pain kept me up almost all night until Joey
cat helped me snooze about 4:00 a.m. I started my morning with a long
hot bath. As we say in Mind Spa, self care is important. It's
raining out. You know what April showers lead to.
A great big shout goes out to my best little cat in the world who will
be 15 in a couple of months.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
"It's the planet's richest ecosystem, where a butterfly's wing
can grow as big as your hand and five hundred species, from frogs to
insects, can be found on a single flower...Jaguars hunt in the shade
of two-hundred-foot-tall trees; pink dolphins, whom the local people
claim have magic powers, swim in the rivers. New species discovered
here in the last decade include a tarantula striped like a tiger, a
vegetarian piranha, and a monkey who purrs like a kitten."
Sy Montgomery, author of Amazon Adventure, is, of course,
alluding to the world's largest jungle which consists of the land
drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries--an area as big as the
United States excluding Alaska and Hawaii. It's called "the lungs of
the world" because it puts out one fifth of this planet's oxygen. But
human economic activities like ranching and mining destroy significant
chunks of it each year.
"Luckily, beneath the glassy surface of its rivers live dozens
of species tiny, beautiful fish whose powers may be even greater than
those of the mysterious pink dolphin or the mighty jaguar. These shy
fish--so small the locals call them all piaba (pee-AH-bah), which
roughly translates to "small fry" or "pip-squeak"--just might be able
to save the Amazon."
You read right. Every year forty million tiny tropical fish,
captured carefully in the wild, are shipped to aquariums around the
world. Amazingly, this is good for the fish. Otherwise during the
dry season many would be stranded and killed. A fish that naturally
might live only a year in its natural habitat may get three or more
years in an aquarium. People who earn their income from this very
sustainable practice aren't desperate for the income from mining,
timbering, and cattle ranching.
But don't take my word for that--not when you can embark on a
voyage of discovery from the comfort of your favorite chair. Discover
the fish and their habitat. Learn about some of the other fascinating
creatures that call the Amazon home. Drop in on an elaborate yearly
festival held in honor of the small fishes.
Amazon Adventure is proof positive that your library card is
your passport to the world.
On a personal note, I am taking it easy (for me) today. Yesterday I
fell. The worst damage is my writing hand is really bruised. (Thank
God no bones broke!). But pain kept me up almost all night until Joey
cat helped me snooze about 4:00 a.m. I started my morning with a long
hot bath. As we say in Mind Spa, self care is important. It's
raining out. You know what April showers lead to.
A great big shout goes out to my best little cat in the world who will
be 15 in a couple of months.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, April 2, 2018
Grit
Grit
YA/adult fiction
"I swore I wouldn't come back here this summer, not to Mrs.
Wardwell's foghorn voice and blisters the size of nickels. But when I
went down to Gaudreau's Take-Out on the last day of school and asked
for an application, you know what Mr. Gaudreau said? 'Sorry, honey
pie, this is a family business.' Honey pie? Hell, I could sling Rocky
Road faster than his girls, and I'd always offer jimmies. They're
wicked tight with jimmies at Gaudreau's."
From the very first paragraph of Gillian French's Grit, the
authentic voice of her narrator explodes out of the pages. Nothing
generic or wishy washy about Darcy Prentiss. You get a solid sense of
time and place. In my humble opinion that's your favorite flavor of
Sweet Frog frozen yogurt with every type of topping your little heart
desires. If you get your hands on this book, you are in for one sweet
treat.
The where Darcy didn't see herself coming back to is the
blueberry barrens. She's raking berries with her sister, Mags, and
their special cousin, Nell. It's a sorta dramatic family. Nelle and
her mom, Libby, live in a trailer on the grounds of the house where
Darcy, Mags, and their mother live. Libby, who dresses "...like a
Pentecostal, even though we're all lapsed Catholics..." is always
criticizing and sniping everyone else. She's especially antagonistic
toward Darcy, fearing she will need Nell astray. Darcy knows Nell has
experienced far more than Libby could ever imagine.
There's a shadow darkening the barrens this year. The last day
of the season before a local girl, a former friend of Darcy,
disappeared. No trace of her has been found. Many locals think a
migrant is to blame. A police officer thinks Darcy knows more than
she's willing to tell. (Racism, nativism, and classism are story
themes. The novel format makes it an engaging way to open up
discussions.)
And then there's the matter of the Bay Festival Princess
competition. Nell is over the moon at being nominated, Darcy a lot
less enthusiastic. Nell can't understand why she isn't jazzed.
"How can I explain to her that this is somebody'd screwed up
idea of a joke? Darcy Prentiss, White Trash Princess. Whoever they
are, they must be laughing their asses off...Doesn't matter; no way am
I making a fool of myself up on that stage come August 19."
(Brings back less than fond memories of my first run for school
committee in a town where people called me trailer park trash and made
snide remarks like "Your children look so much alike. You'd almost
think they had the same father.")
Except she will be. How else will she keep an eye on Nell and
stand between her and any danger that may arise.
French is a very promising new talent in YA lit. I can't wait
to see what she comes up with next.
On a personal note, I had a really great Easter weekend. Saturday was
my achievement day. I made huge strides in spring cleaning and
organizing and wrote 14 1/2 poems. Sunday I chilled. Eugene and I
went to the in-laws. Katie came up from Portland and Amber and Brian
from Orono. It was great to spend precious time with them. I also
gave my self some extra reading, cat cuddling, and candy eating time.
Now it's back to school starting with a visit to my new career center
friends. Wish me luck in nailing that legendary day job.
A great big shout out goes out to my amazing children, their baby
daddy who is also my legally wedded husband, and their wonderful
significant others, and all our good family cats.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"I swore I wouldn't come back here this summer, not to Mrs.
Wardwell's foghorn voice and blisters the size of nickels. But when I
went down to Gaudreau's Take-Out on the last day of school and asked
for an application, you know what Mr. Gaudreau said? 'Sorry, honey
pie, this is a family business.' Honey pie? Hell, I could sling Rocky
Road faster than his girls, and I'd always offer jimmies. They're
wicked tight with jimmies at Gaudreau's."
From the very first paragraph of Gillian French's Grit, the
authentic voice of her narrator explodes out of the pages. Nothing
generic or wishy washy about Darcy Prentiss. You get a solid sense of
time and place. In my humble opinion that's your favorite flavor of
Sweet Frog frozen yogurt with every type of topping your little heart
desires. If you get your hands on this book, you are in for one sweet
treat.
The where Darcy didn't see herself coming back to is the
blueberry barrens. She's raking berries with her sister, Mags, and
their special cousin, Nell. It's a sorta dramatic family. Nelle and
her mom, Libby, live in a trailer on the grounds of the house where
Darcy, Mags, and their mother live. Libby, who dresses "...like a
Pentecostal, even though we're all lapsed Catholics..." is always
criticizing and sniping everyone else. She's especially antagonistic
toward Darcy, fearing she will need Nell astray. Darcy knows Nell has
experienced far more than Libby could ever imagine.
There's a shadow darkening the barrens this year. The last day
of the season before a local girl, a former friend of Darcy,
disappeared. No trace of her has been found. Many locals think a
migrant is to blame. A police officer thinks Darcy knows more than
she's willing to tell. (Racism, nativism, and classism are story
themes. The novel format makes it an engaging way to open up
discussions.)
And then there's the matter of the Bay Festival Princess
competition. Nell is over the moon at being nominated, Darcy a lot
less enthusiastic. Nell can't understand why she isn't jazzed.
"How can I explain to her that this is somebody'd screwed up
idea of a joke? Darcy Prentiss, White Trash Princess. Whoever they
are, they must be laughing their asses off...Doesn't matter; no way am
I making a fool of myself up on that stage come August 19."
(Brings back less than fond memories of my first run for school
committee in a town where people called me trailer park trash and made
snide remarks like "Your children look so much alike. You'd almost
think they had the same father.")
Except she will be. How else will she keep an eye on Nell and
stand between her and any danger that may arise.
French is a very promising new talent in YA lit. I can't wait
to see what she comes up with next.
On a personal note, I had a really great Easter weekend. Saturday was
my achievement day. I made huge strides in spring cleaning and
organizing and wrote 14 1/2 poems. Sunday I chilled. Eugene and I
went to the in-laws. Katie came up from Portland and Amber and Brian
from Orono. It was great to spend precious time with them. I also
gave my self some extra reading, cat cuddling, and candy eating time.
Now it's back to school starting with a visit to my new career center
friends. Wish me luck in nailing that legendary day job.
A great big shout out goes out to my amazing children, their baby
daddy who is also my legally wedded husband, and their wonderful
significant others, and all our good family cats.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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